


Swab Yer Decks

by caplanbuckybarnes



Category: Marvel
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pirate, Character Death, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-22
Updated: 2018-08-22
Packaged: 2019-07-01 05:20:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15767430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caplanbuckybarnes/pseuds/caplanbuckybarnes
Summary: After the death of Bucky’s father, he inherits his pirate ship and sets sail to find Cortes’s treasure. Along the way, he reunites with you, his long lost childhood friend. But you quickly realise he’s not that innocent child you once knew long ago.





	1. Chapter 1

“Do you agree to this deal I have graciously given you, Queen Natasha?” Bucky asked as he paced the floor of the Royal Courtroom. She sat in her chair, hands folded in front of her, the hint of a sneer curling the corner of her lip as she watched him in front of her.

“Now, James, dear, you know I cannot accept that pitiful offer. Don’t you?” She drew out, casually waving a hand in front of her. “You know of what will become of this kingdom shall I hand over the riches and wealth of my people, surely? You must have traveled for far too long at sea with your crewmen to think I would ever agree to such terms.”

He halted in his pacing, pointing a threatening finger in her direction, causing the two guardsmen to draw their swords in defense. “Listen here, you sleazy bitch; you know as well as I do that you care not about the well being of your people. All you care about is yourself. Now you’ll agree to this damned offer or I will set my men on this village. Whether or not this is indeed the town I had adorned throughout my childhood or not. Savvy?”

She chuckled, a monotonous, teasing sound as it echoed throughout the room. “You don’t scare me, Barnes. You’re just a child at heart. You’re nothing compared to your father. He was twice the man you wish you could be. You’re just a mere hood rat who assumes he can slander his way into any pair of panties he wishes. You will never live up to your father’s legacy, boy.”

“My father was the greatest pirate who ever walked this earth. How dare you speak of him in that ill tone of yours?” Bucky gripped the handle of his gun, his finger tapping against the trigger.

“You’re correct, Barnes.” She tilted her head slightly. “He was the greatest pirate that I had the pleasure of meeting with on many occasions before his tragic passing. You’ll never compare to a greater man.”

“Keep speaking ill of my father, and I won’t hesitate to kill you.” he threatened lightly. “You will watch you forsaken-” Bucky’s words were interrupted as the large pine door had opened to reveal a maiden standing in the threshold.

“Ma’am, the kitchens have been- ahh!” the girl’s statement had ended in a squeal as Bucky had rushed over to her, his hat knocking onto the floor in his rush.

“Agree to the deal I have suggested, or I shall claim this lady as my own.”

“Captain Barnes,” a voice chuckled to my left. “It’s ill spoken of to bring a woman aboard.”

“Quiet down, Coulson.” He threatened lightly, hardly giving the man a second glance as he hungrily licked at his lips as her scorned your body.

“Take her,” Natasha scoffed. “She’s a handmaiden, easily replaced.”

“Natasha!” You yelled out in surprise.

“Deal.” Bucky beamed brightly as he snapped at Coulson to retrieve his hat where it had fallen from his head.  Once his hat was replaced on his head, Bucky beamed at the girl and bowed mockingly to Natasha before ordering his men out of the room before he followed behind him and throughout the castle back into the outside world. 

“What’s a beautiful lassie such as yourself working for a whore like Natasha Romanoff?” He beamed when he and his men had walked through the small village and arrived back on the docks where his ship had been awaiting for their arrival. “Lassie?” He asked after a moment when you hadn’t answered him. “You hard of hearing or somethin’?”

“I-” you blinked before closing her mouth  and remained staring at him.

“What’s your name, lass? You got one of those now, don’t you?” He asked as the crew had boarded the boat, leaving Bucky and you standing on the dock.

“You’ve no memory of me, do you?” you asked quietly as he finally walked aboard with you close on his heels.

He cocked an eyebrow. “Surely, I’ve never lain with a beautiful broad such as yourself now. Have I?”

You scoffed as he guided you to the tail of the ship and through a set of doors. He guided you through a long and deep corridor before he opened a door to reveal the Captain’s Quarters. “You’re father was a foolish man. He left this ship to you when you were too young to know what you were doing. Your mother begged you to remain in the village. You refused.”

“And how,” he asked slowly as he shut his door. “How would a beautiful handmaiden such as yourself know my father?”

“George was a madman. He was the best of the best. He conquered the Kraken and nearly found Cortes and his treasure. But he was a flawed man. He had a wife and a son. The townsfolk loved George. He was a menace, however. He craved for treasure. He set siege on many kingdoms before he met his fate with Davy Jones.”

“You don’t know what you’re speaking about, lassie.” He pointed to his bed in the corner of the room, indicating for you to take a seat. “I suggest you quit while you’re ahead.” He turned around and swallowed the lump in his throat.

“When I was a little child, I had a friend, a young boy, when I was only a wee lass. We were great friends. We’d play with toy swords and chase each other around the town square. He’d taught me many things about what it was like to love someone who would never love you back, even at such a young, foolish age.”

His jaw clenched as a memory spawned into the forefront of his mind; he was chasing after a young female throughout the town square, wooden sword in his hand, a chuckle falling from his lips.

“That’s not possible.” He mumbled, turning back to face you as the sudden reality of who you were had come to his mind. “It can’t be true.”

“Why not, James?” you nearly scoffed. “Time’s have changed in the past several years since you’ve been away at sea. You’ve grown quite a bit.”

“Bucky, actually,” the corner of his lip lifted ever so slightly.  “Captain Barnes, really. But Bucky. The oceans have treated me kindly over the years I’ve been away.”

Scoffing, you rolled your eyes. “I’m sure it wasn’t just the sea water.”

“Meaning, what?” He raised a brow.

“I’m sure you’ve had quite a few adventures in the lands you had conquered in your time.”

“Captain?” A voice came from behind his closed door and Bucky nearly growled in frustration before opening the door to reveal a blond haired man.

“What, Steven?”

“I was wondering if I shall tell the others to get moving along?”

“Yes.” Bucky answered curtly as the man peered over his Captain’s shoulder and noticed you standing by his bedside.

“Sir, may I ask why there be a lady a board?” he asked slowly. “She’s going to cause our ship to sink.”

“Are you questioning my authority, Rogers?” Bucky eyed the man with a scornful glare.

“No sir, of course not.” Steve blinked.

Bucky quickly rushed him out of the room, nearly slamming the door closed on his heel.

“I’d never thought I would see the day where you were respected as much as your father.” You spoke as he turned to face you once more, his angered expression softening at the sight of you.

“You’re wrong, actually.” he said. “They don’t respect me, they respect my father. They sailed with him for decades before his death. Everyone aboard this ship knows I will never be anything like George.”

“You’ve surpassed everyone’s expectations of you, Bucky. We all assumed you were dead at sea. Then your ship turns up in the harbor and I walk right into you in the Queen’s courtroom.”

“I’m no longer a lad, Y/N.” He said. “Ever since I had to take my father’s place aboard this ship, I haven’t been a child for a long time.”

“You’re right,” you agreed with a head nod. “You’re no longer a child, a small boy. You’re a man. A man of worth and wealth. A pirate life you may live, but I know this isn’t the life you crave for. You wanted to be raised on land, not the sea. You hated the sea. Remember?”

“You know nothing of the man I am, lassie.” He spoke coldly.

“I know you fear the coldness of Davy Jones’s fingertips as he drags your corpse underneath the sea water. I know you think of yourself unworthy of your father’s legacy. I know you think you’ll fail at whatever conquest you have in mind. You’re a broken boy, Bucky. You’ve always been.”

He stared at you for several long moments and you knew the barrier he had created around this ship was breaking. He was breaking in front of you and all you had to do was speak the truth of the man you knew once upon a time during your childhood.

“I never wanted to leave my mother, not after my father’s death. I’d wanted a life away from the water’s edge. I wanted to travel alongside my mother across the land. I wanted her to live a happy life up in some mountain range surrounded by the sounds of feathers flocking through the air. I wanted her to be happy and wealthy. I had to cut those dreams of mine short and take charge of a ship I had no intentions on boarding before I had even touched a taste of puberty. Do you know what it was like for me to board this vessel and demand respect from a crew whom I had no control over? I had a birthright to conquer the seven seas and face Cortes long before my father had passed onto the next lifetime.”

“What is so important that you have chosen a life on the sea rather than spend it on land with your widowed mother?” you asked.

“I seek a treasure, Y/N.” He smiled grim. “A treasure that I know to be true. My father spoke of it plenty of times when I was a wee lad. It’s a treasure no other pirate has succeeded in claiming for himself.”

“What treasure?”

“It’s aboard Cortes’s ship. Legend says he sails the seas for lost souls that Davy Jones won’t accept. He seeks treasure. He seeks revenge. He hoards and collects priceless gems and coins. He’s a ghost story, a fable. I know it’s the real deal, however. My father spoke of it during my childhood.  It was his destiny to yield the treasure and become the world’s best pirate who ever lived.”

“But it’s only a legend you said, legends aren’t real.”

“Once I find his ship,” he spoke as though you hadn’t interrupted his ramblings. “I’ll conquer his treasure and become a legend, just as my father before me. I’ll kill his ghost. I’ll take over his ship and his treasures. I’ll live a rich live on the sea. I’ll avenge my father’s death. I will become an even greater pirate than my father before me.”

“Bucky,” you spoke gently with a shake of your head. “You’ve been at sea for far too long. You’re mind isn’t where it needs to be. You’re too far gone in the hopes of finding a legendary ship that nobody can prove it exists.”

“I can and I will.” he insisted.

“You’ve been gone for years, Buck,” you said, gazing at him with sad eyes. “What makes you think you can find a ship that’s hardly a legend?”

“I have faith, Y/N.” he stated. “I have faith in myself and my crew, despite our hardships and differences. They’ve been loyal to me. And those who haven’t, met with Davy Jones not long after. I’m not that cute young boy you remember from our childhood; I’ve grown into something horrible that I can’t escape from.”

“No,” you shook your head, taking a step towards him. “You’ve only lost your way. I can guide you back, James.”

“You’re still full of childish dreams and hope.” he scoffed, backing away as you had reached out to stroke his cheek.

“I had spent too many nights of my childhood hoping you’d return to me once you had boarded your father’s ship. I wished on the North Star every night that you’d return to me in one piece. And now, here I stand in your cabin, less than a meter away from you. It has to be fate.”

“I don’t believe in fate or miracles, kid.” he sighed out, turning around to face his door. “Fate was never a friend of mine.”

“What about this moment, huh?” you pressed on, not willing to allow him to leave your sight. “James, come on. You don’t think it was fate that I happened to walk into that room with you and Natasha? You don’t believe that was fate that we met again after all these years apart? You’ve grown so much over the years. You’ve matured so much, yet you still look like that chubby child I remember so vividly.”

“What the hell is your point, Y/N?” he demanded.

“Fate brought us back together after all these years, James.” you nearly begged. “Whether you want to believe it or not.”

“I have a boat to captain.” he said in dismissal, his cold eyes burning a hole inside your chest, causing you to almost whimper out as he turned to the door and walked out, slamming the door shut behind him.


	2. Chapter 2

_The laughter of a child filled the crowded streets. The dark haired boy peered cautiously around the corner of a market stall he’d been hiding around. He felt his heart beating against his chest as he waited with anticipation._

“Gotcha _!” A lassie’s laughter giggled behind him before a tap was felt on his shoulder._

“ _You cheated!” the boy laughed as he turned around and faced his friend, only to see the back of her head before she had disappeared in the throng of shoppers in the market._

“ _Oh, Bucky!” Her voice rang out, finding his ears easily. “Come here and walk the plank! You gotta feed my sharks, Bucky!”_

“ _Y/N!” Bucky hollered out, laughter caught in his throat as he weaved his way through the crowd. “Never, you blithering imbecile!” Bucky spotted her catching her breath near a fishing stall and ran towards her. “Got you! Now, walk my plank!” He pointed with his wooden sword towards nothing._

_The laughter on Y/N’s face fell as she looked behind Bucky. “Hello, Mrs. Barnes.”_

“ _Come along, James.” Winifred ushered. “Your father wishes for your presence before he leaves on this journey.”_

“ _Yes, mama.” Bucky nodded before dropping his toy sword and looking over his shoulder at Y/N. Her face held softness and tenderness, a look Bucky swore he would never forget. However, neither of them had known that that day would be the final day that he would see his father alive. Months later, the Black Pearl would arrive back on the harbor, without George Barnes’s breathing body. Instead, his pale body would be sunken at sea._

_********_

_Bucky nearly collapsed in her arms after the news of George’s death had been spoken of out of Winifred’s mouth; from now on he was to captain his father’s ship, fulfilling his father’s legacy. He knew he wouldn’t be able to commandeer a pirate ship, he was a mere child. His father’s crew would never respect him the way they had respected George. Winifred had been delirious, sending him off to captain a ship full of aggressive sea dwellers, absolutely fucking bonkers, this woman._

_He had fought tooth and with her in the wake of the news. He was a child! He knew naught about being a captain! He could never gain respect and loyalty. He couldn’t leave his hometown, nor his mother, nor Y/N. But as he stared at the terror and determination in his mother’s eyes, he knew he had no choice. He had a duty to carry on. He had a reputation to unfold._

_He feared that he would die at sea. He feared that he would fail at the mission of finding the lost lost treasure of Cortes. He feared that his father’s crew would laugh at him, think him nothing but a joke. He feared that he would be thrown overboard in his sleep. Years had gone by, and still, the fears had never ceased. He lived in fear and distrust on board. He was constantly tempted to throw his crew straight into the arms of Davy Jones._

_But he was patient. He waited for reason. He waited and sailed. Eventually, he had learned that his crew had always respected him, due to whom had fathered him. George’s genes grew strong within James and he praised himself in the compliments and gratitude of his crew. James vowed to his crew that they would scour the seven seas and find Cortes and seize his forbidden treasure. To himself, he would not rest until he had a grasp of the gold and silver._

_Throughout his long voyages, he conquered many lands and woman, with the occasional male figurine. He bedded broads and concubines. He laid with royals and concubines. He conquered small treasure and villages. His mother constantly crossed his mind and over time, memories of Y/N faded into the back of his mind. He knew he would never see her again, so he wasted no time in worrying._

_He’d long since forgotten Y/N and how her laugh used to sound in his ears. He’d forgotten how her eyes crinkled whenever she’d smiled. He’d forgotten her favorite pastries from the market stalls in his small town. Was he ashamed of it? Oh, yes. But he couldn’t dwell on the past. He’d often drown himself in whiskey and rum, fucking himself into as many females and males he could while he stopped in those small towns before he placed them under his siege._

_He pleasured himself int eh feelings of the soft skin of a woman as she laid beneath him, crying out vulgar words, in languages he knew nothing about. He drowned himself drunkenly in the pit holes of men, groaning out in bastardly tones that would cause him embarrassment had he been sober and surrounded by his crew. He never stayed in a town too long for him to become comfortable._

_Very few of those he’d graced his presence with knew his identity. James Barnes was proud of the man he had become. He was proud of his tracking record. He couldn’t begin to know of any illegitimate children he must have fathered over the years. He was the spitting image of his father before him in every which way. People would call him foolish, reckless, what have you. But he didn’t care for some peasant’s view of him._

_——-_

Two decades after his father’s death, here is where James stood, on the bow of his ship, sailing into the sunset, stood next to him was Steven Rogers, a  man whom Bucky felt closest to among his crew. Y/N sat encased in his bunker. It felt surreal to him. Was this fate? Could Y/N be the treasure he had needed all along? Was she the piece of the missing puzzle to Cortes? Was that girl truly whom she claimed to be? Was he simply dreaming? Was she simply meant to be a bargain for Cortes? Would he be foolish enough to trade her for Cortes’s treasure? He couldn’t be too sure, and even as he exchanged glances with Steve, he knew his face held troublesome wrinkles.

“Captain?” Steve asked hesitantly, first glancing down before meeting Bucky’s eyes. “May I ask?”

“No.” He declined. “You and the crew leave her to me. Do not question my actions, Grant.”

“When will we come across another land, sir?” Steve blinked. “We’re running low on food, especially if we’ve ‘nother mouth to feed, Captain.”

“I guess we’ll have to do something to fix that problem now. Won’t we?” Bucky growled.

“Yes, sir.” Steve strolled away.

Sneering in Steve’s direction, Bucky made his way to his cabin, relieved to see Y/N hadn’t moved an inch from the spot on his bed where he had directed her to sit until he was ready to speak with her. Surprisingly, she had given little to no argument But had assumed it was out of fear, nothing more.

“You’re looking quite tempting in that handmaiden ensemble, Y/N.” Bucky smirked as he removed his hat from his head and placed it on the dresser next to the door.

Scoffing, she grimaced “You haven’t graced my presence in years, and that’s how you want to reminisce?”

With his eyes scaling her body, he licked at his teeth. “Surely, you  can’t blame me for being at sea for years at a time with no woman aboard to satisfy my needs.” He held back a groan as she shifted in her position, showcasing a sliver of her leg. “You miss me, don’t you? That’s why you didn’t put up a fight with me.”

“Buck, I wished on the Northern lights every night for you to return to the village for me. I dreamed that you would come back and take me with you on your journey. As time passed on, I knew you’d long since forgotten me. When I became of age, I acquired a position with Queen Natasha as a handmaiden. She’d boast for days about how pitiful you were in your attempts to seize new lands. Had I known you were in the village, I would have stayed far away.”

“Why?” he frowned. “Why would you stay away from me, love?”

“I knew the moment you looked at me that you were no longer that giddy child you once were. When you looked at me, all I seen was a monster hiding behind your blue eyes. You aren’t that baby boy I once cared so deeply for. I stopped wishing for your return and hoped you had died at sea with your father, may his soul rest in peace.”

“You claimed fate had brought us together once again, Y/N.” He whispered, blinking as he swallowed an unknown emotion.

“I know what I said, Buck. But I only ask one question of you; what took you so long?”

Bucky didn’t have an answer for that. How could he explain to her that he no longer wished to dwell on land? How could he explain to her that all he had craved was the lost treasure of Cortes? How could he explain to her that he wanted to trade her in for gold if Cortes truly existed? He was no longer that innocent child, and she knew damn well. She could see it in the harsh scars and faded lines in his face that he was no longer a happy child, only a brutal pirate who would stop at nothing at get what he felt had belonged to him. “I’ll bring you lunch in a few moments.” he growled out before he walked out of the cabin, slamming the door in the process.


End file.
